Mark 13
1 As he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!”
While Jesus was leaving the Temple [area], one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at how marvelous [these] huge stones [in the walls are] and how wonderful [these] buildings [are]!”
2 Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.”
Jesus said to him, “[Yes], these buildings that you are looking [at] [RHQ] [are wonderful], but I [want to tell you something about] them. They will [soon] be destroyed {[Foreign invaders] will destroy [them]} [completely, with the result that] no stone here [in this Temple area] will be left on top of another stone.”
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,
After they arrived on Olive [Tree] Hill across [the valley] from the Temple, Jesus sat down. When Peter, James, John, and Andrew were alone with him, they asked him,
4 “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?”
“Tell us, when will [that] happen [to the buildings of the Temple? Tell us what will happen that will show us that all these things that God has planned] are about to be finished {that [God] is about to finish all these things [that he has planned]}.”
5 Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.
Jesus replied to them, “[I cannot give you a simple answer to your questions. All I will say is], beware that no one deceives you [concerning what will happen]!
6 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray.
Many people will come and say (that I sent them/that they have my authority) [MTY]. They will say, ‘I am [the Messiah]!’ They will deceive many people.
7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet.
Whenever people tell you about wars [that are close] or wars that are far away, do not be troubled. [God has said] that those things must happen. [But when they do happen, do not think] that [God] will finish all [that he has planned] at that time!
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains.
[Groups who live in various] countries will fight each other, and various governments will fight each other. There will also be [big] earthquakes in various places; and there will be famines. Yet, [when these things happen, people will have only just begun to suffer. The first things that they suffer will be like] the first pains a woman [suffers] who is about to bear a child. [They will suffer much more after that].
9 “But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.
Be ready for [what people will do to you at that time]. Because [you believe in] me, they will arrest you and put you on trial before the religious councils. (In the synagogues/In the Jewish meeting places), you will be beaten {others will beat you}. You will be put {[People will put] you} [on trial] in the presence of high government authorities. As a result, you will be able to tell them [about me].
10 The Good News must first be preached to all the nations.
My good message must be proclaimed {[You] must proclaim my good message} to [people in] all people-groups before [God finishes all that he has planned].
11 When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
And when people arrest you in order to prosecute you [because you believe in me], do not worry before that happens about what you will say. Instead, say what [God] puts into your mind at that time. Then it will not be [just] you who will be speaking. It will be the Holy Spirit [who will be speaking through you].
12 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
[Other evil things will happen]: People [who do not believe in me] will (betray/help others seize) their brothers [and sisters] in order that [the government] can execute them. Parents [will betray] their children, and children will betray their parents so that [the government] will kill their parents.
13 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.
[In general], you will be hated by most [HYP] people {most [HYP] people will hate you} because [you believe in] me. But all you who continue [to trust in me strongly] until your life is finished will be saved {[God] will save all you who continue [to trust in me strongly] until your life ends}.
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
[During that time] the disgusting [thing/person that the prophet Daniel described] will enter the Temple. It/He will defile [the Temple when he enters it and will cause people to abandon it. When you see it/him standing there] where it/he should not be, [you should run away quickly] (May everyone who is reading this pay attention to [this warning from Jesus]!) [At that time] those people who are in Judea [district] must flee to [higher] hills.
15 and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house.
Those people who are outside their houses must not enter their houses in order to get anything [before they run away].
16 Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
Those who are [working] in a field must not return [to their houses] in order to get [additional] clothes [before they flee].
17 But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days!
But I feel very sorry for women who will be pregnant and women who will be nursing their babies in those days, [because it will be very difficult for them to run away]
18 Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter.
In those days people will suffer very severely. People have never suffered like that since the time when God first created the world until now; and people will not [suffer that way] again. [So] pray that [this painful time] will not happen in (winter/the rainy season), [when it will be hard to travel].
19 For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.
20 Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.
If the Lord [God] had not [decided that he would] shorten that time [when people suffer so much], everyone would die. But he has [decided to] shorten that time because [he is concerned about you] people whom he has chosen [DOU].
21 Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.
[At that time people who will] falsely [say that they are] Messiahs and prophets will appear. Then they will perform many kinds (of miracles/of things that ordinary people cannot do) [DOU]. They will even try to deceive [you] people whom God has chosen, [but they will not] be able to do that. So at that time if someone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or [if someone says], ‘Look, he is over there!’ do not believe it!
22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
23 But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.
Be alert! Remember that [I] have warned you about all this before [it happens.]
24 But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
After the time when people suffer like that, the sun will become dark, the moon will not shine,
25 the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
the stars will fall from the sky, and all things in the sky will be shaken {[God will cause] all things in the sky to shake}.
26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
Then people will see [me], the one who came from heaven, coming through the clouds powerfully and gloriously.
27 Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.
Then I will send out my angels in order that they gather together the people whom [God] has chosen from [everywhere, and that includes] all the most remote places on earth [IDM, DOU].
28 “Now from the fig tree, learn this parable. When the branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near;
Now I [want you to] learn something from this parable about [the way] fig trees [grow]. [In this area], when their buds become tender and their leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.
29 even so you also, when you see these things coming to pass, know that it is near, at the doors.
Similarly, when you see [what I have just described] happening, you yourselves will know that it is very near [the time for me to return] [MTY]. [It will be as though I am] already at the door [HEN].
30 Most certainly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen.
Keep this in mind: You have observed the things that I have done and said, but all of those events [that I have just told you about] will happen before all of you will die.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
You can [be certain that] these things [that I have prophesied] will happen. [You can be more certain of that than] you can [be certain that] the earth and what is in the sky will stay in place.
32 “But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
But no one knows the exact time [when I will return]. The angels in heaven also do not know. Even [I do not know.] Only my Father knows.
33 Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is.
So be ready, [like people who are waiting for an important man to come], because you do not know when that time will come [when all these events will happen]!
34 “It is like a man traveling to another country, having left his house and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.
When a man who wants to travel [to a distant place] is [about to] leave his house, he tells his servants that they should manage the house. [He tells] each one what he should do. Then he tells the doorkeeper to be ready [for his return].
35 Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming—whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;
[That man must always be] ready, [because he does not know whether] his master will return in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn. [Similarly], you also must [always] be ready, because you do not know [when I will return].
36 lest, coming suddenly, he might find you sleeping.
[May it not happen that] when I come suddenly, I will find that you are not ready!
37 What I tell you, I tell all: Watch!”
These words that I am saying to you [disciples] I am saying to everyone [who believes in me: Always] be ready!” [That is what Jesus warned his disciples].
